April has arrived, and with it, we welcome our First Friday Interview! In this month’s interview, we are highlighting someone who truly puts the community of Philadelphia first! Meet Ya Fav Trashman, Terrill Haigler! Starting from a position as a laborer for the Philadelphia Sanitation Department, Terrill has made it to the top as the leading CEO of Treasure 2 Trash! Keep on reading to learn more about Terrill and his work in the Philadelphia community!
PPRG: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in our First Friday Interview! First off, we love your name, “Ya Fav Trashman”! How did you come up with it?
Terrill: I actually got my name from a woman on the route when I was a sanitation worker. She was an older woman, and I would always put her trash cans back on her porch for her. And one day, she said you are my fav Trashman. So when I created the Instagram, that name just kept ringing in my head.
PPRG: Growing up, were you always an advocate for the environment?
Terrill: Lol no. I was one of the people that used to throw things out of car windows and stuff things and storm drains. It wasn’t until I became a sanitation worker and realized how much I was hurting my community by doing so. Since then, I’ve made a complete 180; when you know better, you do better.
PPRG: What inspired you to start sharing your experiences of the city’s sanitation issues on social media?
Terrill: During the height of the pandemic, residents of Philadelphia were so angry with the lack of communications from the Street Department that they would actually take it out on sanitation workers while we were doing our job. So I wanted to shed light and give insight on everyday life as a sanitation worker but also let residents know that we are on their side. We want the trash up as bad as they do and to find some common ground. I just wanted to come to work, have peace, and not argue with residents every single day.
PPRG: What do you love most about Philly?
Terrill: The things I love most about Philly are the people, the food, and the sports. Philadelphia is one of the most diverse cities with a rich history of art. Most people don’t know my first profession was Theater.
PPRG: Speaking of things we love about Philly, we have to know… what is your favorite Philly place to eat?!
Terrill: This is a tough one. I honestly love food. I love all different types of food. But if I had to choose one, in particular, I often find myself at Booker’s restaurant on Baltimore Avenue.
PPRG: How can our readers get involved with your clean ups?
Terrill: People can always follow me on Instagram @_yafavtrashman. Also, all my cleanups are posted on cleanphillyup.org!
It was an amazing opportunity to get to know Terrill and learn about his work and goals for the future of Philadelphia! Be sure to follow him on social media and check out the cleanphillyup.org website to learn how you can get involved in cleaning up the community! Take the first step today to make our beloved city look and feel a little cleaner!
